NBC: Obama chooses Biden as running mate

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Look, I'm no fan of Mitt Romney, but there are choices I shudder at more. Can you imagine Mike Huckabee or Fred Thompson one step from the Presidency?

I know. I mean Mit R. is not my fav. politician, but he did do some good things in Mass. Here are some good and bad things (footnotes omitted):

Romney was sworn in as the 70th governor of Massachusetts on January 2, 2003. Upon entering office, Romney faced a projected $3 billion deficit, but a previously enacted $1.3 billion capital gains tax increase and $500 million in unanticipated federal grants decreased the deficit to $1.2 billion.[46] Through a combination of spending cuts, increased fees, and removal of corporate tax loopholes, by 2006 the state had a $700 million surplus and was able to cut taxes.[47][48]

Romney supported raising various fees by more than $300 million, including raising fees for driver's licenses, marriage licenses, and gun licenses.[48] Romney increased the state gasoline tax by 2 cents per gallon, generating about $60 million per year in additional tax revenue.[49] Romney also closed tax loopholes that brought in another $181 million from businesses over the next two years.[49] The state legislature, with Romney's support, also cut spending by $1.6 billion, including $700 million in reductions in state aid to cities and towns.[50] The cuts also included a $140 million reduction in state funding for higher education, which led state-run colleges and universities to increase tuition by 63%.[49] Romney sought additional cuts in his last year as Massachusetts governor by vetoing nearly 250 items in the state budget. All of those vetoes were overturned by the legislature.[51]

The combined state and local tax burden in Massachusetts increased during Romney's governorship.[49] According to the Tax Foundation, that per capita burden was 9.8% in 2002 (below the national average of 10.3%), and 10.5% in 2006 (below the national average of 10.8%).[52]

On April 12, 2006, Romney signed the Massachusetts health reform law which requires nearly all Massachusetts residents to buy health insurance coverage or face the loss of their personal income tax exemption. The bill also establishes means-tested state subsidies for people who do not have adequate employer insurance and who make below an income threshold, by using funds previously designated to compensate for the health costs of the uninsured.[53][54][55] He vetoed eight sections of the health care legislation, including an employer assessment[56] and provisions providing health coverage to senior and disabled legal immigrants not eligible for federal Medicaid.[57][58] The legislature overrode all eight vetoes. Romney's communications director Eric Fehrnstrom responded saying "These differences with the Legislature are not essential to the goal of getting everyone covered with insurance."

At the beginning of his governorship, Romney opposed same-sex marriage and civil unions.[59][60] Faced with the dilemma of choosing between same-sex marriage or civil unions after the November 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision legalizing same-sex marriages (Goodridge v. Department of Public Health), Romney reluctantly backed a state constitutional amendment in February 2004 that would have banned same-sex marriage but still allow civil unions, viewing it as the only feasible way to ban same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.[61] In May 2004 Romney instructed town clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but citing a 1913 law that barred out-of-state residents from getting married in Massachusetts if their union would be illegal in their home state,[62][63] no marriage licenses were to be issued to out-of-state same-sex couples not planning to move to Massachusetts. In June 2005, Romney abandoned his support for the compromise amendment, stating that the amendment confused voters who oppose both same-sex marriage and civil unions. Instead, Romney endorsed a petition effort led by the Coalition for Marriage & Family that would have banned same-sex marriage and made no provisions for civil unions.[64] In 2006 he urged the U.S. Senate to vote in favor of the Marriage Protection Amendment.[65][66]

On December 14, 2005, Romney announced that he would not seek re-election for a second term as governor.[67] Romney left office with a favorability rating of 43%.[68] Romney filed papers to establish a formal exploratory presidential campaign committee the next to last day in office as governor.[69] This solidified suspicions that had been circulating as early as 2005 that Romney would attempt to run for President. This also intensified criticism that Romney was not taking his governorship seriously (spending 219 days out of state in 2006), and using his office as a springboard to greater political ambitions.[70] Romney's term ended January 4, 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney

Note - I do not think Mit R. will be chosen because of his wishy washy stance on abortion and, more importantly, he is not a Christian. The far right hates McCain enough without that fan on the flame.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by GypsySorcerer

Look, I'm no fan of Mitt Romney, but there are choices I shudder at more. Can you imagine Mike Huckabee or Fred Thompson one step from the Presidency?

Yes Huckabee would be terrible too ..what a nut.I'd actually take Thompson over Romney though.He is a rightwingnut to be sure but Romney just creeps me out..there is something so souless about him.